Dauntless Sails Again
The Dauntless and her crew were sailing up the west coast of Scotland
towards the Isle of Skye when their holiday plans were interrupted.
Another converted fishing boat, bent on less lawful business than the
Dauntless, crossed their path, and they found themselves unaccountably
involved in a hunt for smugglers. Captain Blake and the boys would have
left the smugglers unmolested but for a chance meeting with Captain
Blake's old friend, McDougall, late of the Customs, who persuaded the
Captain to take him aboard. In spite of all Captain Blake's efforts to
keep the boys out of trouble, the fact that they alone had seen and
could recognise the smugglers made then, key witnesses for the Crown ;
but what finally lined them up on the side of the Law was the
smugglers' wrecking tactics. When they beheld the ripped sails and
smashed engine of the Dauntless the boys were all out for retaliation,
and the chase occupied the rest of their holiday
Another version
The ex-fishing boat Dauntless and her crew of teenage boys
are sailing up the West Coast of Scotland, determined to
return with a bunch of heather on their masthead to prove
they have reached the Island of Skye. But their holiday plans
come to an abrupt and sinister halt. A small coaster mistakes
their boat for another converted fishing yawl, and Dauntless
and her crew are caught up unexpectedly in a hunt for
reckless and determined smugglers.
By chance the boys meet up with James McDougall, an
ex-Customs officer and a friend of their sailing companion,
Captain Blake. Because the crew of Dauntless are the only
people who have actually seen the smugglers, they are key
witnesses in the chase, so McDougal1 hitches a ride on
Dauntless to track down the smugglers and find out where
and when they trans-ship the contraband.
Even then the boys hope to finish their trip to Skye, but
the smugglers decide to stop their spying by teaching them a
lesson. And when they deliberately smash. Dauntless's
engine and slash her sails to ribbons, there is no holding her
crew back from a chase that ends in a kidnap and the
dreadful swirling waters of the Gulf of Corryvrechan.
This is an exciting sea story in the tradition of Arthur
Ransome, which will be enjoyed by every young reader who
has ever wanted to sail or own a boat.
Wednesday 24 November 2010
Policeman's Holiday
Policeman's Holiday -Bernard J.Farmer
The Ward family goes on their annual holiday to the seaside resort of Bargate which appears merely to be a cunning disguise for Margate in Kent. The plot concerns the old fort at the entrance to the Thames which was used for air-raid protection during WW2.
The Ward family goes on their annual holiday to the seaside resort of Bargate which appears merely to be a cunning disguise for Margate in Kent. The plot concerns the old fort at the entrance to the Thames which was used for air-raid protection during WW2.
Dauntless
Here is 'Dauntless and the Poplar Pirates'
Dauntless and the Poplar Pirates"Look out, David!" Alex cried warningly. "They are throwing stones at
us." David ducked, then raised himself cautiously. There was a
ringing sound and a yell of triumph.
"Got it!" a voice shouted jubilantly.
"I will get it as well," another voice cried and a stone hit the
Dauntless's mainmast. David saw the attackers as a row of faces
showing over the edge of the bridge balustrade and arms upraised to
throw more stones.
The crew of the Dauntless, David, Bob, Alex and Tim , have sailed
their boat up the Thames and moored her in Bow Creek and they are not
at all pleased at this reception. But they discover the "Poplar
Pirates", as these local lads call themselves, are not really
vicious, just showing their resentment at being warned off the river
boats by the local bargees. The Pirates are all desperately keen on
boats, so David and his friends decide to offer them a trip in the
Dauntless. There is fog in the river and they rescue the
unfriendliest of the bargees when his Thames sailing barge gets
wrecked on a sandbank. The bargee, his wife and granddaughter Jenny
take refuge on the Dauntless, but the Pirates decide to salvage the
barge so they can have a boat of their own.
David is worried about the barge family whose home it is, and the
rest of the story tells of the exciting salvage of the barge and how
finally David extracts them all from a dramatic situation by his tact
and good seamanship.
Another in the series of exciting books about the Dauntless, with the
usual ingredients of a thrilling story and all the fun of sailing as
well as the interest of the details of life on a working sailing
barge in the late 1940-s.
Dauntless and the Poplar Pirates"Look out, David!" Alex cried warningly. "They are throwing stones at
us." David ducked, then raised himself cautiously. There was a
ringing sound and a yell of triumph.
"Got it!" a voice shouted jubilantly.
"I will get it as well," another voice cried and a stone hit the
Dauntless's mainmast. David saw the attackers as a row of faces
showing over the edge of the bridge balustrade and arms upraised to
throw more stones.
The crew of the Dauntless, David, Bob, Alex and Tim , have sailed
their boat up the Thames and moored her in Bow Creek and they are not
at all pleased at this reception. But they discover the "Poplar
Pirates", as these local lads call themselves, are not really
vicious, just showing their resentment at being warned off the river
boats by the local bargees. The Pirates are all desperately keen on
boats, so David and his friends decide to offer them a trip in the
Dauntless. There is fog in the river and they rescue the
unfriendliest of the bargees when his Thames sailing barge gets
wrecked on a sandbank. The bargee, his wife and granddaughter Jenny
take refuge on the Dauntless, but the Pirates decide to salvage the
barge so they can have a boat of their own.
David is worried about the barge family whose home it is, and the
rest of the story tells of the exciting salvage of the barge and how
finally David extracts them all from a dramatic situation by his tact
and good seamanship.
Another in the series of exciting books about the Dauntless, with the
usual ingredients of a thrilling story and all the fun of sailing as
well as the interest of the details of life on a working sailing
barge in the late 1940-s.
Four books by George Elvey Haley
Cormorant Ahoy,Cormorant Sails Again,Cormorant's Commandos and Cormorant on Patrol are the four books in the series. Both Cormorant's Commandos and Cormorant on Patrol involve voyages from Whitby in north Yorkshire to a small island near the Manacles in the Channel.
Cormorant's Commandos also involves a brief visit to a lightship in the North Sea and this appears to be stationed off the mouth of the Humber. (Check details). The young crew believe that they are possibly headed for the Isle of Wight and they stop for a while in Dover.
When on the island -a fictional one not far from Plymouth - (which they name Dead Man's Chest)they become engaged in a war with older teenagers who are busy slaughtering the birds in order to make a profit. ON one occasion the younger members of the crew are immobilized by a rope deliberately wrapped around the screw of their propeller. They are unable to get back to Dead Man's Chest before they encounter storm force winds which prevent them from landing and which drive them down Channel and out into the Atlantic. A period of tremendous anxiety ends with a safe return home. Further explorations and warlike encounters continue until an unexpected discovery in a partly submerged cave is made. Rewards them come along for them all,
Cormorant's Commandos also involves a brief visit to a lightship in the North Sea and this appears to be stationed off the mouth of the Humber. (Check details). The young crew believe that they are possibly headed for the Isle of Wight and they stop for a while in Dover.
When on the island -a fictional one not far from Plymouth - (which they name Dead Man's Chest)they become engaged in a war with older teenagers who are busy slaughtering the birds in order to make a profit. ON one occasion the younger members of the crew are immobilized by a rope deliberately wrapped around the screw of their propeller. They are unable to get back to Dead Man's Chest before they encounter storm force winds which prevent them from landing and which drive them down Channel and out into the Atlantic. A period of tremendous anxiety ends with a safe return home. Further explorations and warlike encounters continue until an unexpected discovery in a partly submerged cave is made. Rewards them come along for them all,
Monday 22 November 2010
The Three Spaniards
The story is based around the coast of north Kent where is meets the river Thames. The village is called Cley and the nearby town is called Braddenham. However, several real places are brought into the storyline including Whitstable,Seasalter and Canterbury.
Saturday 20 November 2010
Haunted in Lincolnshire
It is the locale that makes the atmosphere of this book so successful. The story is set on a R.A.F. airfield on the marshes near the North Lincolnshire coast. It was used as a Coastal Command base during the Second World War. Two boys are at the centre of the experience and a series character nicknamed 'The Blue Falcon' is the nominal hero.
Mists sweep in from the sea and, for a while, make it plausible that unknown airmen are able to come and go within the perimeter of the secure base without being apprehended. The series of events that set everybody's nerves on edge are so violent and unexpected that it is hard to make any sense of what is being attempted by the people behind the 'so-called' haunting. A small dog is killed and mutilated without any logical explanation. A man in R.A.F. uniform in the mess responds to a challenge by lashing out and escaping into the rapidly approaching mist.
Most of the action takes place at night and the personnel on the base are in the grip of rumours and gossip about how old burial mounds have been responsible for the outbreak of sudden and violent activity. The tension is screwed up a few more rachets to breaking point when the vicar's daughter disappears into the mist and then the Blue Falcon himself is reduced to a helpless victim by a ninety-nine percent effective attempt at strangulation.
No sooner does the legitimate clandestine activity of the secret base become clear to the reader than the sudden and devastating attack is launched. Only the quick-thinking of the young hero leads to the apprehension of the malefactors and an explanation of their subterfuge.
Mists sweep in from the sea and, for a while, make it plausible that unknown airmen are able to come and go within the perimeter of the secure base without being apprehended. The series of events that set everybody's nerves on edge are so violent and unexpected that it is hard to make any sense of what is being attempted by the people behind the 'so-called' haunting. A small dog is killed and mutilated without any logical explanation. A man in R.A.F. uniform in the mess responds to a challenge by lashing out and escaping into the rapidly approaching mist.
Most of the action takes place at night and the personnel on the base are in the grip of rumours and gossip about how old burial mounds have been responsible for the outbreak of sudden and violent activity. The tension is screwed up a few more rachets to breaking point when the vicar's daughter disappears into the mist and then the Blue Falcon himself is reduced to a helpless victim by a ninety-nine percent effective attempt at strangulation.
No sooner does the legitimate clandestine activity of the secret base become clear to the reader than the sudden and devastating attack is launched. Only the quick-thinking of the young hero leads to the apprehension of the malefactors and an explanation of their subterfuge.
Sunday 14 November 2010
Round the coast in major authors
Crossing the Shadow Line
Which authors can be said to have used their section of the coastal journey to explore the hinterland of the characters behind the adventure on the coast ?
Off the top of my head I can think of about 10 who may qualify.
Malcolm Saville and the locations at Whitby,Robin Hood's Bay,Norfolk-Suffolk,West Sussex,Plymouth.
Dorita Fairlie Bruce and locations in Kent and in Ayr (Largs)
Philip Turner and locations in North and East Yorkshire,Dover and Shetlands
Arthur Ransome and locations in Norfolk,Suffolk,Hebrides
Mabel Esther Allan and locations in Robin Hood's Bay,Hebrides.
Hester Burton and locations in Suffolk and Norfolk
Percy F. Westerman and locations in Yorkshire,Hampshire,Dorset and Devon
Monica Edwards and locations in Kent and West Sussex
Tyler Whittle and locations in Norfolk and Suffolk
Lorna Hill and locations in Northumberland and Skye
Captain W.E.Johns and locations in Norfolk
Winifred Finlay and locations in Northumberland
Winifred Cawley and locations in Northumberland
Elinor M. Brent Dyer and locations in Guernsey and Wales
K.M.Peyton and locations in Suffolk and Essex
Lois Lamplugh and locations in Devon
Elsie J. Oxenham and locations in North Yorkshire
Theresa Tomlinson and locations in North Yorkshire
Jane Gardam and locations in Durham
David Divine and locations in Dover and Chichester
James Lennox Kerr and Peter Dawlish and locations in Yorkshire and the Thames
Which authors can be said to have used their section of the coastal journey to explore the hinterland of the characters behind the adventure on the coast ?
Off the top of my head I can think of about 10 who may qualify.
Malcolm Saville and the locations at Whitby,Robin Hood's Bay,Norfolk-Suffolk,West Sussex,Plymouth.
Dorita Fairlie Bruce and locations in Kent and in Ayr (Largs)
Philip Turner and locations in North and East Yorkshire,Dover and Shetlands
Arthur Ransome and locations in Norfolk,Suffolk,Hebrides
Mabel Esther Allan and locations in Robin Hood's Bay,Hebrides.
Hester Burton and locations in Suffolk and Norfolk
Percy F. Westerman and locations in Yorkshire,Hampshire,Dorset and Devon
Monica Edwards and locations in Kent and West Sussex
Tyler Whittle and locations in Norfolk and Suffolk
Lorna Hill and locations in Northumberland and Skye
Captain W.E.Johns and locations in Norfolk
Winifred Finlay and locations in Northumberland
Winifred Cawley and locations in Northumberland
Elinor M. Brent Dyer and locations in Guernsey and Wales
K.M.Peyton and locations in Suffolk and Essex
Lois Lamplugh and locations in Devon
Elsie J. Oxenham and locations in North Yorkshire
Theresa Tomlinson and locations in North Yorkshire
Jane Gardam and locations in Durham
David Divine and locations in Dover and Chichester
James Lennox Kerr and Peter Dawlish and locations in Yorkshire and the Thames
Friday 12 November 2010
Yorkshire
Bill Takes The Helm – Betty Bowen
FIFTEEN year old Bill Walton of Long Island, U.S.A., lives a
carefree, adventurous life sailing his beautiful shining boat off the
Sound, happy among his many friends, proud of captaining his school
football team. Suddenly Bill's mother dies, and everything is changed.
Bill decides to take his young sister Merrie to live with "Gram," the
grand¬mother he has never met, in a tiny Yorkshire fishing village.
Bill's sister Merrie falls sick on the Atlantic crossing, but even
worse, Gram is not there to meet them at Southampton! Bewildered and
homesick Bill finds his own way up to Yorkshire.
Whilst suddenly happy in their new home with Gram, Bill finds he is
unwelcome in the village and is looked upon as a "foreigner." He has
a tough time living down an early fight with local boys, Rolf, Tim
and Pete over the possession of a drifting boat he salvages and which
he hopes to repair and sail again himself.
How Bill lives down this first disas¬trous accident and takes part in
an exciting fishing expedition; how he passes his first strange and
frightening day at an English school and how he heroically rescues
his former enemies in a terrifying storm at sea, is all vividly
relived in this enthralling story of courage and high adventure set
against the authentic background of the storm-ridden, sea-battered
Yorkshire coast.
Huntrodd's Eye – Victor C. Brown
Set in Yorkshire, this a story about fourteen year old Kit. He is of
the Huntrodd family, the only one with that peculiar telepathic power
known as 'Huntrodds eye'. His journey ends in the smugglers' tunnels of
the village of Robin Hood's Bay. The old legends of the Bay take on a
terrifying life of their own.
Breakers by Julia Clarke
Adapting to life by the sea in Yorkshire is difficult for London-born
Cat and her sister Ana. Cat feels responsible for Ana - particularly
when the bullying starts. But she has her own life to sort out too. The
boy down the road, Sebastian, seems interested in her - but Cat
suspects his motives.
Smugglers All – W.Bourne Cook
18th century story of Yorkshire village where people make money by
fishing and smuggling. Hero is thirteen year old boy.
The Tale of Robin Lyth – Christine A. Jones
A young child is found on the beach near some fishing boats at the
North Landing of Flamborough, Yorkshire. Who he is or where he came
from no-one knows. He is taken in and raised by a fishing family and
becomes a notorious but brave and generous smuggler. He falls in love
with a pretty farmer's daughter whose family is reluctant to encourage
the match because of Robin's trade and unknown origins. Robin promises
to reform and prove himself worthy of her -- but too late, he is framed
for the murder of a coast guard and has to flee for his life. How he is
exonerated, the mystery of his birth and his quest to live "happily
ever after" is Robin Lyth's tale
Dog Friday – Hilary McKay
A beautifully written and hilarious introduction to Robin Brogan and
his friends at Porridge Hall. Robin Brogan lives peacefully with his
mother in one half of Porridge Hall, a big, old house on the Yorkshire
coast. And then the Robinsons move in next door, and Robin's life
becomes more evenful than he could possibly have imagined. The
Robinsons prove just as unusual and funny as their names. The twins,
Ant and Perry, vegetable loving Beany, Sun Dance and their scruffy
mongrel, Old Blanket, specialise in creating mayhem. They attempt to
entice guests in to Mrs Brogan's Bed and Breakfast, teach Robin how to
be brave, and, most importantly, help him work out how he can keep the
abandoned dog he finds on the beach...
Bandaberry- Laurence Meynell
A juvenile adventure thriller set on an island off the Yorkshire coast. David
Walker arrives on the island of Bandaberry.
The Highwayman's Footsteps - Nicola Morgan
This is a 2006 book which I have just read. The action purports to
take place on the North Yorkshire Moors, on two visits to Scarborough
and a fleeting return to Hexham where the hero comes from. The most
important events take place in Scarborough market and in a desperate
encounter in a back alley. The Hexham incidents reveal nothing about
the town that could not have been applied to anywhere. There is mention
of a real historical incident about a young soldier who was executed
for stealing flour that was used for powdering wigs. Similarly there is
mention of Hexham riots.
Nightingales Song - Kate Pennington
The setting is Whitby in the mid 1700s.Maggie Nightingale spends her
evenings singing in her father's tavern, the Anchor Inn, on the rugged
east Yorkshire coastline. The inn is a haunt for local ruffians,
thieves and smugglers, and Maggie overhears many a dark plan hatched
over ale at night. She never imagined that such plans could threaten
her very existence, and see her wrongly accused of murder. Togther with
notorious smuggling villain, Thomas Hague, Maggie's only escape from
public hanging comes in the form of a ship bound for America. The New
World. but will the shadow of death follow Maggie Nightingale across
the ocean, and haunt her for the rest of her life?
Room 13 - Robert Swindells
This is mostly set in Whitby. It gives an
account of a week's holiday spent in the seaside town by a party of 31
pupila from a school in Bradford. The story is mostly told from the
point of view of Fliss or Felicity who has a bad dream the night before
she goes on the trip and a nightmare experience during the week that
she is there. During the week various Yorkshire locations are visited
includings Staithes, Robin Hood's Bay and many well-known Whitby
landmarks including the Abbey and the famous steps.
Tom Travis - Nigel Thomas
Whilst vacationing with their parents on the east coast of England, Tom
and Simon Travis discover a maze of underground tunnels under an old
World War II gun emplacement. The tunnels have been constructed by the
Bridlington colony of an alien race, from the planet Pyzon. The Pyzons
are involved in a war with the people of the planet Tynax. The children
enlist the help of their father, a retired Royal Navy officer, who uses
his influence with the Ministry of Defence. The Royal Navy and Air
Force become involved in several underwater battles with the Tynax.
After a top secret, Area 51-style government communications base is
used to contact a Pyzon base on the moon, the action transfers to space
for the deciding encounter.
Wolf Girl - Theresa Tomlinson
This story is set in Whitby Abbey in the year before the Synod of
Whitby. Cwen, the weaver, is accused of stealing a valuable necklace.
That in itself would merit a severe penalty but there is worse. It
could be a royal necklace and in that case stealing it would be
treason and the punishment would be slow death. But Cwen's daughter
Wulfrun is determined to prove her mother innocent. And she finds
some surprising allies in the Princess Elfled, the novice monk
Adfrith and the cowherd/poet Cadmon. Their quest takes them to a
small fishing village and then to a hermit in a forest. But there are
those who do not want the truth uncovered and Wulfrun and her friends
eventually find themselves on a wild desperate flight to Bamburgh.
Whitby Abbey and its community are brought vividly to life both by
the author's descriptions and also by the useful little plan at the
beginning of the book. Right away this makes it quite clear that this
is a Celtic Abbey and not one of the better known medieval Roman
ones. For a start Hild's community contains both monks and nuns. The
everyday work of the little community can be easily imagined by the
reader. There is Adfrith in the scriptorium, Fridgyth with her herb
garden, Cadmon with his calves – and we share his pain when the blood
month arrives and they are killed.
The book just abounds with strong, independent female characters. To
name but a few: there is the Princess Elfled, wilful and imperious
but also courageous and determined, Wulfrun, courageous and
responsible beyond her fourteen years, and the abbess Hild herself
who rules her little community wisely and who wields power among the
greatest kings and princes in the land.
This story brings to life a period of English history which, sadly,
is too often neglected –– Anglo-Saxon times. The book has been
thoroughly researched and there is a note on the sources used ––
including of course Bede's History of the English Church and People.
And yet although so many scholarly works have been used the writing
is eminently readable.
In her note at the end the author has said that she decided to try
some mystery/adventure stories using Hild's abbey at Whitby for the
setting.
The Voyage of the Silver Bream – Theresa Tomlinson
A story of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Waterway. Jack and Izzie's
father is the captain of a keelboat, the Dragonfly; that carries grain
from the River Humber, up the waterway to Sheffield Canal Basin, then
returns with a cargo of coal or iron goods. The new railway companies
threaten to put the keelboats out of business, so Jack and Izzie must
try to help their father save the Silver Bream.
The Summer People – John Rowe Townsend
Set during the summer holidays in a Yorkshire coastal resort just
before the outbreak of WWII.
A Sub of the R.N.R. – Percy F. Westerman
The first world war raid on Scarborough. A sub of the RNR.
The Voyage of the "Dauntless" - J.C.Western Holt
When his livelihood is threatened by the unscrupulous dealings of a
ship-owner the captain of a small cargo vessel decides to take action.
The owner pays him off in Hull and then replaces him with a captain who
is prepared to see one of his ships turned into a "coffin ship" for the
insurance money. A stowaway intervenes and saves the captain's life and
the two of them steer the ship back to Hull and rejoin the original
crew. At this point the good captain decides to take advantage of the
crook's plans and take over the ship himself. Believing it is lost, the
world does not realise that the honest crew have set out for Africa
under false colours.
FIFTEEN year old Bill Walton of Long Island, U.S.A., lives a
carefree, adventurous life sailing his beautiful shining boat off the
Sound, happy among his many friends, proud of captaining his school
football team. Suddenly Bill's mother dies, and everything is changed.
Bill decides to take his young sister Merrie to live with "Gram," the
grand¬mother he has never met, in a tiny Yorkshire fishing village.
Bill's sister Merrie falls sick on the Atlantic crossing, but even
worse, Gram is not there to meet them at Southampton! Bewildered and
homesick Bill finds his own way up to Yorkshire.
Whilst suddenly happy in their new home with Gram, Bill finds he is
unwelcome in the village and is looked upon as a "foreigner." He has
a tough time living down an early fight with local boys, Rolf, Tim
and Pete over the possession of a drifting boat he salvages and which
he hopes to repair and sail again himself.
How Bill lives down this first disas¬trous accident and takes part in
an exciting fishing expedition; how he passes his first strange and
frightening day at an English school and how he heroically rescues
his former enemies in a terrifying storm at sea, is all vividly
relived in this enthralling story of courage and high adventure set
against the authentic background of the storm-ridden, sea-battered
Yorkshire coast.
Huntrodd's Eye – Victor C. Brown
Set in Yorkshire, this a story about fourteen year old Kit. He is of
the Huntrodd family, the only one with that peculiar telepathic power
known as 'Huntrodds eye'. His journey ends in the smugglers' tunnels of
the village of Robin Hood's Bay. The old legends of the Bay take on a
terrifying life of their own.
Breakers by Julia Clarke
Adapting to life by the sea in Yorkshire is difficult for London-born
Cat and her sister Ana. Cat feels responsible for Ana - particularly
when the bullying starts. But she has her own life to sort out too. The
boy down the road, Sebastian, seems interested in her - but Cat
suspects his motives.
Smugglers All – W.Bourne Cook
18th century story of Yorkshire village where people make money by
fishing and smuggling. Hero is thirteen year old boy.
The Tale of Robin Lyth – Christine A. Jones
A young child is found on the beach near some fishing boats at the
North Landing of Flamborough, Yorkshire. Who he is or where he came
from no-one knows. He is taken in and raised by a fishing family and
becomes a notorious but brave and generous smuggler. He falls in love
with a pretty farmer's daughter whose family is reluctant to encourage
the match because of Robin's trade and unknown origins. Robin promises
to reform and prove himself worthy of her -- but too late, he is framed
for the murder of a coast guard and has to flee for his life. How he is
exonerated, the mystery of his birth and his quest to live "happily
ever after" is Robin Lyth's tale
Dog Friday – Hilary McKay
A beautifully written and hilarious introduction to Robin Brogan and
his friends at Porridge Hall. Robin Brogan lives peacefully with his
mother in one half of Porridge Hall, a big, old house on the Yorkshire
coast. And then the Robinsons move in next door, and Robin's life
becomes more evenful than he could possibly have imagined. The
Robinsons prove just as unusual and funny as their names. The twins,
Ant and Perry, vegetable loving Beany, Sun Dance and their scruffy
mongrel, Old Blanket, specialise in creating mayhem. They attempt to
entice guests in to Mrs Brogan's Bed and Breakfast, teach Robin how to
be brave, and, most importantly, help him work out how he can keep the
abandoned dog he finds on the beach...
Bandaberry- Laurence Meynell
A juvenile adventure thriller set on an island off the Yorkshire coast. David
Walker arrives on the island of Bandaberry.
The Highwayman's Footsteps - Nicola Morgan
This is a 2006 book which I have just read. The action purports to
take place on the North Yorkshire Moors, on two visits to Scarborough
and a fleeting return to Hexham where the hero comes from. The most
important events take place in Scarborough market and in a desperate
encounter in a back alley. The Hexham incidents reveal nothing about
the town that could not have been applied to anywhere. There is mention
of a real historical incident about a young soldier who was executed
for stealing flour that was used for powdering wigs. Similarly there is
mention of Hexham riots.
Nightingales Song - Kate Pennington
The setting is Whitby in the mid 1700s.Maggie Nightingale spends her
evenings singing in her father's tavern, the Anchor Inn, on the rugged
east Yorkshire coastline. The inn is a haunt for local ruffians,
thieves and smugglers, and Maggie overhears many a dark plan hatched
over ale at night. She never imagined that such plans could threaten
her very existence, and see her wrongly accused of murder. Togther with
notorious smuggling villain, Thomas Hague, Maggie's only escape from
public hanging comes in the form of a ship bound for America. The New
World. but will the shadow of death follow Maggie Nightingale across
the ocean, and haunt her for the rest of her life?
Room 13 - Robert Swindells
This is mostly set in Whitby. It gives an
account of a week's holiday spent in the seaside town by a party of 31
pupila from a school in Bradford. The story is mostly told from the
point of view of Fliss or Felicity who has a bad dream the night before
she goes on the trip and a nightmare experience during the week that
she is there. During the week various Yorkshire locations are visited
includings Staithes, Robin Hood's Bay and many well-known Whitby
landmarks including the Abbey and the famous steps.
Tom Travis - Nigel Thomas
Whilst vacationing with their parents on the east coast of England, Tom
and Simon Travis discover a maze of underground tunnels under an old
World War II gun emplacement. The tunnels have been constructed by the
Bridlington colony of an alien race, from the planet Pyzon. The Pyzons
are involved in a war with the people of the planet Tynax. The children
enlist the help of their father, a retired Royal Navy officer, who uses
his influence with the Ministry of Defence. The Royal Navy and Air
Force become involved in several underwater battles with the Tynax.
After a top secret, Area 51-style government communications base is
used to contact a Pyzon base on the moon, the action transfers to space
for the deciding encounter.
Wolf Girl - Theresa Tomlinson
This story is set in Whitby Abbey in the year before the Synod of
Whitby. Cwen, the weaver, is accused of stealing a valuable necklace.
That in itself would merit a severe penalty but there is worse. It
could be a royal necklace and in that case stealing it would be
treason and the punishment would be slow death. But Cwen's daughter
Wulfrun is determined to prove her mother innocent. And she finds
some surprising allies in the Princess Elfled, the novice monk
Adfrith and the cowherd/poet Cadmon. Their quest takes them to a
small fishing village and then to a hermit in a forest. But there are
those who do not want the truth uncovered and Wulfrun and her friends
eventually find themselves on a wild desperate flight to Bamburgh.
Whitby Abbey and its community are brought vividly to life both by
the author's descriptions and also by the useful little plan at the
beginning of the book. Right away this makes it quite clear that this
is a Celtic Abbey and not one of the better known medieval Roman
ones. For a start Hild's community contains both monks and nuns. The
everyday work of the little community can be easily imagined by the
reader. There is Adfrith in the scriptorium, Fridgyth with her herb
garden, Cadmon with his calves – and we share his pain when the blood
month arrives and they are killed.
The book just abounds with strong, independent female characters. To
name but a few: there is the Princess Elfled, wilful and imperious
but also courageous and determined, Wulfrun, courageous and
responsible beyond her fourteen years, and the abbess Hild herself
who rules her little community wisely and who wields power among the
greatest kings and princes in the land.
This story brings to life a period of English history which, sadly,
is too often neglected –– Anglo-Saxon times. The book has been
thoroughly researched and there is a note on the sources used ––
including of course Bede's History of the English Church and People.
And yet although so many scholarly works have been used the writing
is eminently readable.
In her note at the end the author has said that she decided to try
some mystery/adventure stories using Hild's abbey at Whitby for the
setting.
The Voyage of the Silver Bream – Theresa Tomlinson
A story of the Sheffield and South Yorkshire Waterway. Jack and Izzie's
father is the captain of a keelboat, the Dragonfly; that carries grain
from the River Humber, up the waterway to Sheffield Canal Basin, then
returns with a cargo of coal or iron goods. The new railway companies
threaten to put the keelboats out of business, so Jack and Izzie must
try to help their father save the Silver Bream.
The Summer People – John Rowe Townsend
Set during the summer holidays in a Yorkshire coastal resort just
before the outbreak of WWII.
A Sub of the R.N.R. – Percy F. Westerman
The first world war raid on Scarborough. A sub of the RNR.
The Voyage of the "Dauntless" - J.C.Western Holt
When his livelihood is threatened by the unscrupulous dealings of a
ship-owner the captain of a small cargo vessel decides to take action.
The owner pays him off in Hull and then replaces him with a captain who
is prepared to see one of his ships turned into a "coffin ship" for the
insurance money. A stowaway intervenes and saves the captain's life and
the two of them steer the ship back to Hull and rejoin the original
crew. At this point the good captain decides to take advantage of the
crook's plans and take over the ship himself. Believing it is lost, the
world does not realise that the honest crew have set out for Africa
under false colours.
Tuesday 9 November 2010
Wales
Wales and Cheshire
The Rising Tide – MEA –
When she inherits three small islands, an eighteen year old persuades
her friend to go and live there for the winter, in islands off the
coast of Wales, with a mystery to solve, and danger from the tide.
The Pirates of Thorne Island – Phill Carradice
Nat Thomas and the other boys from the "Havannah" sail along the Severn
Estuary on a training cruise on board the "Polly". When the "Polly" is
damaged in a storm they put in to Pembroke Dock for repairs. Nat and
the boys stay in the army fort on Thorne Island, where they see lights
late one night.
The Bosun's Secret – Phil Carradice
Nat Thomas, a young orphan boy, is sent to the Industrial School
Ship "Havannah" in Cardiff in 1870. The conditions on the ship are
brutal, most of the brutality being carried out by Bosun Jayne, who
singles Nat out and subjects him to a reign of terror. (
Telling the Sea – Pauline Fisk
Follows the fortunes of Nona, her mother and Nona's younger sister
Sharon. The family runs away together to the seaside village in Wales
which was the focus of Nona's mother's own childhood happiness. The
author also wrote "Midnight Blue", winner of the 1990 Smarties Prize.
Rosalie K.Fry The Riddle of the Figurehead
Building a boat on the Gower peninsula, a French visitor and the fight
to save Sammy from being sent to a hostel away from his beloved
guillemot.
The Riddle of the Figurehead – Rosalie K. Fry
The Bevans children, with their exchange visitor from Brittany and
their newly made boat Evening Star, figure out the riddle of the
Sammy's figurehead, and save his simple beach home. Fine descriptions
of the shore of South Wales. Set in a particularly attractive part of
the Welsh coast the young heroine Stella Bevan, 11, is helping her
elder brothers build a boat 'The Even ing Star'. Mystery develops. Set
on the Welsh coast. Stella Bevan, aged 11, is helping her elder
brothers build a boat. They are going to call it The Evening Star.
Stella is expecting a French girl to stay with her during the holidays,
but Phiippe, a brother of the French girl, arrives instead. He proves
(to everyone's surprise) exceptionally good value, not only in helping
to launch the boat but also in sailing it. All the Bevan family
subsequently become involved in a local injustice which they put right,
and in which Philippe plays an audacious and decisive part as a
detective
September Island – Rosalie K. Fry
Children are stranded on a sand bar off the Welsh coast.
Perilous Dawn – W.J. Goodyer
What was the strange secret of the blue suitcase? That was the question
which puzzled Jimmy Keene, his parents and his brother Roger, when they
returned to Wales from holiday on the Isle of man."
The problems that began as the family make their way home by car from
Liverpool to Radnorshire just seem to get worse and worse. They have stumbled
into a plot that may involve IRA saboteurs or even Russian spies. A new
installation in the mountains is under some sort of threat and the gang
that the boys tangle with is not afraid to use threats and kidnap in order
to get their way. Both Jimmy and Roger have to use all their resources
to unable the police to overcome a very cunning and ruthless bunch of
ne-er-do-wells.
Margaret W. Griffiths Hazel in Uniform
World War II spy adventure involving Hazel and her friends, set on the Welsh coast.
Detectives in Wales – Jean Henson
A children's story in a series The Holloway children, mystery solvers,
are by the sea in a large house in Wales. By the author of River
Detectives, Detectives in the Hills, Detectives by the sea and
Detectives Abroad
Holiday Adventure – William Glynne-Jones
An entertaining story telling of a group of children's adventures
during their summer holiday in the small Welsh village of Portavon
Green Grow the Rushes – Elinor Lyon
A girl from London, vacationing on the rugged Welsh coast with a
snippy, spoiled companion, finds three adventurous friends whom she
joins in a search for the cliffborne track of an old Roman road.
Curlew Camp C. R. MANSELL
The Guides of the Curlew Patrol have been hoping for Adventure—and they
get it, when they find that the camp they are to join in the country
near the Welsh coast does not exist.
But that is only the beginning. Camping in the orchard of an old
house that has once been used for smuggling they soon discover that
their cheerful hostess is in trouble; and the disappearance of dogs
from her kennels, followed by visits of a man who wants to buy her
home, is to the Guides more than just a mere coincidence. A new kennel-
maid who obviously resents their presence, a midnight rendezvous that
almost ends in ends in disaster due to Rose's curiosity, and strange
tapping noises in the cellar, are mounting evidence of a mystery that
is to involve them in excitements and even dangers. How the Guides win
credit to themselves—and an adorable sheep-dog puppy as a mascot is a
story that all girls will enjoy.
A Wind from the Sea – Jennifer Morgan
It's 1833 Liverpool and a dead body is found in the Mersey - a black
woman slave. Thirteen year old Patience Penry hears this news as her
own life is turned into turmoil. Locked into poverty, her mother is
forced into domestic service and she must move to live with Uncle Huw
on his farm in Wales.
Spring Tide – Mary Ray
Set in Roman Britain in Caer Taff (Cardiff).
The House by the Shore – Ivy Russell
. .Children's story about Nickie and Jill setting off for a quiet
holiday in Wales. It ends with Nickie and Jill about to be photographed
for television newsreel. What can have happened between these two
times ?
Mona the Welsh Pony – Allen Seaby
Allen Seaby's stories of the ponies of the New Forest, Exmoor,
Dartmoor, and the Shetland Islands, are deservedly popular, not only
for the entertainment of the stories themselves, but also for their
accurage and affectionate studies of the wild life of the countryside
in which they live.
In this volume, Seaby turns to the mountain ponies of North Wales, and
tells the enthralling story of Mona against the background of her
native landscape, its people and their history.
Allan W Seaby's book "Mona the Welsh Pony" is set in a place near
Abermaw.
Abermaw is the Welsh for Barmouth, which does exist.
Battle for Destiny – Peter John Stephens
A young Welsh boy meets Harry Tudor, A Welshman with a claim to the
English throne historical fiction; a young Welsh lad exiled in a Breton
abbey is determined to go home to Wales, and aligns himself with
another Welshman who has a claim to the English throne;
Battle for Destiny - Peter John Stephens.
Ithel, the son of a Welsh minor lord escapes from drowning off the
coast of Brittany. Taken in by the church he fights for his destiny
until he falls into the path of Henry, Duke of Richmond. Later he joins
Richmond in France and, committed to his cause, is sent to Wales to
help prepare the Tudor invasion that eventually bring to the throne the
Lancastrian, Henry VII. He plays a vital part at the battle of Bosworth
where Richard III is defeated and killed. Most of the story in Wales is
in the fields and small dwellings around Milford Haven and then Carew
Castle.
Journey with a Secret – Showell Styles
Ann and John's hiking trip from their Welsh village to the sea turns
into a wild adventure, combining spies, a Hungarian girl, a misty moor
and all
Styles, Showell. Journey with a Secret. Meredith, 1969. 141p. $4.95.
Two English children on a Welsh walking tour pick up a runaway girl who is the
age of the older Davies, John; his sister is thirteen. Ilonka Kazinczy tells
John and Ann that the police are after her because she has run away from a cruel
uncle, but her story is suspicious: why should there be such an intensive hunt
for her? The truth soon comes out; Ilonka's uncle has been murdered and she is
carrying a secret document that will help organize a Hungarian freedom movement.
The incidents of chase and pursuit are full of action, the setting is
interesting (although there is a heavy dose of mountaineering detail for
non-climbers) and the style competent, but the plot is both contrived and
melodramatic.
A Shadow on the Sea – Tessa Theobald
A children's holiday overlooking a bay in Pembrokeshire. Four children
spend their March holiday alone in their family cottage overlooking a
bay in Pembrokeshire. The older children spend their time refurbishing
an old canoe, but Emma, the youngest, finds and rescues a guillemot
which has been coated by oil from ships and is unable to swim or fly.
The children clean it, and look after the bird, then find adventures
while exploring the bay.
Buried Alive – Jacqueline Wilson
Tim and Biscuits are having a brilliant holiday in Wales. Life is full
of icecream, sandcastles and picnics - until they meet the horrid bully
Prickle-Head and his side-kick Pinch-Face. Just as they are about to
despair, reinforcements arrive in an unexpected form.
Welsh Adventure – Viola Bayley
Mystery and excitement for Serena Hamble. Lively holiday adventures end
in deep mysterious waters.
The Haunting at Cliff House
Wales - unspecific
When her father inherits an estate from his great-aunt, Alison reluctantly
agrees to spend her summer in Wales. The dreary mansion called Pen-Y-Craig
(Welsh for Cliff House) is far from her Ottawa home, and her summer is far from
ordinary. Alison discovers an ancient diary, a haunted cave, and the story of a
young girl called Bronwen who lived at Cliff House in 1810. Alison sees spirits
and hears voices that compel her to unravel Bronwen's tangled and tragic
history. But can she learn from Bronwen's disasterous mistakes, and undo the
wrongs of the past and the present?" and "The story is set in the heart of Wales
in a house which Mr. Evans (The father) and Alison (the daughter) inherited from
a Great-Aunt. This house has a spirit trapped in time haunting it. Alison sees
visions of the ghost's (Bronwen's) life and is directed to an old diary. This
diary holds the keys to why Bronwen is trapped. Throughout the story Alison
seems to be going through the exactly the same situations as Bronwen did in
1810. Alison soon realizes what has happened to Bronwen and helps her change the
past. Throughout this plot Alison is going through tough times herself. Her
mother has long since passed away and her father has found a new woman
(Meiriona) who he has taken a liking to. Alison feels her territory has been
invaded by Meiriona and will ruin her tight knit relationship with her father.
In helping Bronwen out with her problem, Alison discovers that she can make
room, she doesn't own her father, and that everyone including her father has the
right to be happy."
Operation Footprint - Patricia Brooks.
The story is set in Llandudno, North Wales. The family on holiday come there
regularly each year and stay at a cottage on the less-frequented West Beach.
Most of their adventure features the Great Orme and their investigations by boat
of a small beach which is otherwise inaccessible. There are some quite exciting
episodes, though, after half-way it lapses into a pretty standard smugglers
story. The mystery may have been uncovered by the children but it is followed to
a conclusion by their uncle (very tradtional) who follows the clue to the
ring-leader of the gang to London in his fast car. Some details of this journey
and the previous vacation trips they go on may be worth following up.
Seal Secret – Aidan Chambers
William was thoroughly bored and fed up with everything about this
Welsh Holiday - but that was before he found out about Gwyn's secret..
A young boy endangers his own life when he sets out to release a
captive seal. William is unhappy when he sees the Welsh cottage his
parents had rented for their week's holiday, and he doesn't much like
Gwyn, the boy from the nearby farm
Three’s a Crowd - Michael Drin
The story of Peter and Jenny's summer holiday with their writer uncle
on the Welsh coast.
Esme and the Smugglers – Olive Duhy
The school moves to a castle in North Wales where Esme's aunt turns out
not to be all she should.
Beach Mystery – Frank Elias
"Death had been waiting for the Captain at Moelvre Bay on the night
that the Royal Sovereign foundered and sank; he cheated it then, but it
still lurked and lingered in wait.
Evan Hughes knew nothing of this when he went to spend the summer with
his aunt at Menai Bridge; yet he was soon to realize that over her
household hovered a shadow which in some unfathomable way was related
to the tragedy at Moelvre Bay. With a lad's sensitive feeling for crime
and disaster, Evan had to visit the spot where the ship had gone down.
A sense of premonition possessed him before he went; having been there
and talked to the man with the glass eye, the dreadful fascination of
the place turned to fear - fear not of human agency,but of a power
beyond him that was sinister and oppressive.
Gradually and inexplicably he experienced a compelling sense of being
drawn into the Captain's affairs. The bay had an ungovernable
influence over him. Death was not to be cheated a second time."
The Peace Seekers – George Finkel
A tale set in North Wales in 1170
Telling the Sea – Pauline Fisk
Follows the fortunes of Nona, her mother and Nona's younger sister
Sharon. The family runs away together to the seaside village in Wales
which was the focus of Nona's mother's own childhood happiness. The
author also wrote "Midnight Blue", winner of the 1990 Smarties Prize.
M.Frow -Four Stowaways and Anna
A wild chase to Wales in pursuit of War Office secrets.
The Intelligence Corps Saves the Island – M.Frow
Two sets of twins on holidays in a small island off the coast of South
Wales find themselves looking into the case of the disappearance of
title deeds to their uncle's island and a mysterious stranger claiming
possession of the island.
The Rising Tide – MEA –
When she inherits three small islands, an eighteen year old persuades
her friend to go and live there for the winter, in islands off the
coast of Wales, with a mystery to solve, and danger from the tide.
The Pirates of Thorne Island – Phill Carradice
Nat Thomas and the other boys from the "Havannah" sail along the Severn
Estuary on a training cruise on board the "Polly". When the "Polly" is
damaged in a storm they put in to Pembroke Dock for repairs. Nat and
the boys stay in the army fort on Thorne Island, where they see lights
late one night.
The Bosun's Secret – Phil Carradice
Nat Thomas, a young orphan boy, is sent to the Industrial School
Ship "Havannah" in Cardiff in 1870. The conditions on the ship are
brutal, most of the brutality being carried out by Bosun Jayne, who
singles Nat out and subjects him to a reign of terror. (
Telling the Sea – Pauline Fisk
Follows the fortunes of Nona, her mother and Nona's younger sister
Sharon. The family runs away together to the seaside village in Wales
which was the focus of Nona's mother's own childhood happiness. The
author also wrote "Midnight Blue", winner of the 1990 Smarties Prize.
Rosalie K.Fry The Riddle of the Figurehead
Building a boat on the Gower peninsula, a French visitor and the fight
to save Sammy from being sent to a hostel away from his beloved
guillemot.
The Riddle of the Figurehead – Rosalie K. Fry
The Bevans children, with their exchange visitor from Brittany and
their newly made boat Evening Star, figure out the riddle of the
Sammy's figurehead, and save his simple beach home. Fine descriptions
of the shore of South Wales. Set in a particularly attractive part of
the Welsh coast the young heroine Stella Bevan, 11, is helping her
elder brothers build a boat 'The Even ing Star'. Mystery develops. Set
on the Welsh coast. Stella Bevan, aged 11, is helping her elder
brothers build a boat. They are going to call it The Evening Star.
Stella is expecting a French girl to stay with her during the holidays,
but Phiippe, a brother of the French girl, arrives instead. He proves
(to everyone's surprise) exceptionally good value, not only in helping
to launch the boat but also in sailing it. All the Bevan family
subsequently become involved in a local injustice which they put right,
and in which Philippe plays an audacious and decisive part as a
detective
September Island – Rosalie K. Fry
Children are stranded on a sand bar off the Welsh coast.
Perilous Dawn – W.J. Goodyer
What was the strange secret of the blue suitcase? That was the question
which puzzled Jimmy Keene, his parents and his brother Roger, when they
returned to Wales from holiday on the Isle of man."
The problems that began as the family make their way home by car from
Liverpool to Radnorshire just seem to get worse and worse. They have stumbled
into a plot that may involve IRA saboteurs or even Russian spies. A new
installation in the mountains is under some sort of threat and the gang
that the boys tangle with is not afraid to use threats and kidnap in order
to get their way. Both Jimmy and Roger have to use all their resources
to unable the police to overcome a very cunning and ruthless bunch of
ne-er-do-wells.
Margaret W. Griffiths Hazel in Uniform
World War II spy adventure involving Hazel and her friends, set on the Welsh coast.
Detectives in Wales – Jean Henson
A children's story in a series The Holloway children, mystery solvers,
are by the sea in a large house in Wales. By the author of River
Detectives, Detectives in the Hills, Detectives by the sea and
Detectives Abroad
Holiday Adventure – William Glynne-Jones
An entertaining story telling of a group of children's adventures
during their summer holiday in the small Welsh village of Portavon
Green Grow the Rushes – Elinor Lyon
A girl from London, vacationing on the rugged Welsh coast with a
snippy, spoiled companion, finds three adventurous friends whom she
joins in a search for the cliffborne track of an old Roman road.
Curlew Camp C. R. MANSELL
The Guides of the Curlew Patrol have been hoping for Adventure—and they
get it, when they find that the camp they are to join in the country
near the Welsh coast does not exist.
But that is only the beginning. Camping in the orchard of an old
house that has once been used for smuggling they soon discover that
their cheerful hostess is in trouble; and the disappearance of dogs
from her kennels, followed by visits of a man who wants to buy her
home, is to the Guides more than just a mere coincidence. A new kennel-
maid who obviously resents their presence, a midnight rendezvous that
almost ends in ends in disaster due to Rose's curiosity, and strange
tapping noises in the cellar, are mounting evidence of a mystery that
is to involve them in excitements and even dangers. How the Guides win
credit to themselves—and an adorable sheep-dog puppy as a mascot is a
story that all girls will enjoy.
A Wind from the Sea – Jennifer Morgan
It's 1833 Liverpool and a dead body is found in the Mersey - a black
woman slave. Thirteen year old Patience Penry hears this news as her
own life is turned into turmoil. Locked into poverty, her mother is
forced into domestic service and she must move to live with Uncle Huw
on his farm in Wales.
Spring Tide – Mary Ray
Set in Roman Britain in Caer Taff (Cardiff).
The House by the Shore – Ivy Russell
. .Children's story about Nickie and Jill setting off for a quiet
holiday in Wales. It ends with Nickie and Jill about to be photographed
for television newsreel. What can have happened between these two
times ?
Mona the Welsh Pony – Allen Seaby
Allen Seaby's stories of the ponies of the New Forest, Exmoor,
Dartmoor, and the Shetland Islands, are deservedly popular, not only
for the entertainment of the stories themselves, but also for their
accurage and affectionate studies of the wild life of the countryside
in which they live.
In this volume, Seaby turns to the mountain ponies of North Wales, and
tells the enthralling story of Mona against the background of her
native landscape, its people and their history.
Allan W Seaby's book "Mona the Welsh Pony" is set in a place near
Abermaw.
Abermaw is the Welsh for Barmouth, which does exist.
Battle for Destiny – Peter John Stephens
A young Welsh boy meets Harry Tudor, A Welshman with a claim to the
English throne historical fiction; a young Welsh lad exiled in a Breton
abbey is determined to go home to Wales, and aligns himself with
another Welshman who has a claim to the English throne;
Battle for Destiny - Peter John Stephens.
Ithel, the son of a Welsh minor lord escapes from drowning off the
coast of Brittany. Taken in by the church he fights for his destiny
until he falls into the path of Henry, Duke of Richmond. Later he joins
Richmond in France and, committed to his cause, is sent to Wales to
help prepare the Tudor invasion that eventually bring to the throne the
Lancastrian, Henry VII. He plays a vital part at the battle of Bosworth
where Richard III is defeated and killed. Most of the story in Wales is
in the fields and small dwellings around Milford Haven and then Carew
Castle.
Journey with a Secret – Showell Styles
Ann and John's hiking trip from their Welsh village to the sea turns
into a wild adventure, combining spies, a Hungarian girl, a misty moor
and all
Styles, Showell. Journey with a Secret. Meredith, 1969. 141p. $4.95.
Two English children on a Welsh walking tour pick up a runaway girl who is the
age of the older Davies, John; his sister is thirteen. Ilonka Kazinczy tells
John and Ann that the police are after her because she has run away from a cruel
uncle, but her story is suspicious: why should there be such an intensive hunt
for her? The truth soon comes out; Ilonka's uncle has been murdered and she is
carrying a secret document that will help organize a Hungarian freedom movement.
The incidents of chase and pursuit are full of action, the setting is
interesting (although there is a heavy dose of mountaineering detail for
non-climbers) and the style competent, but the plot is both contrived and
melodramatic.
A Shadow on the Sea – Tessa Theobald
A children's holiday overlooking a bay in Pembrokeshire. Four children
spend their March holiday alone in their family cottage overlooking a
bay in Pembrokeshire. The older children spend their time refurbishing
an old canoe, but Emma, the youngest, finds and rescues a guillemot
which has been coated by oil from ships and is unable to swim or fly.
The children clean it, and look after the bird, then find adventures
while exploring the bay.
Buried Alive – Jacqueline Wilson
Tim and Biscuits are having a brilliant holiday in Wales. Life is full
of icecream, sandcastles and picnics - until they meet the horrid bully
Prickle-Head and his side-kick Pinch-Face. Just as they are about to
despair, reinforcements arrive in an unexpected form.
Welsh Adventure – Viola Bayley
Mystery and excitement for Serena Hamble. Lively holiday adventures end
in deep mysterious waters.
The Haunting at Cliff House
Wales - unspecific
When her father inherits an estate from his great-aunt, Alison reluctantly
agrees to spend her summer in Wales. The dreary mansion called Pen-Y-Craig
(Welsh for Cliff House) is far from her Ottawa home, and her summer is far from
ordinary. Alison discovers an ancient diary, a haunted cave, and the story of a
young girl called Bronwen who lived at Cliff House in 1810. Alison sees spirits
and hears voices that compel her to unravel Bronwen's tangled and tragic
history. But can she learn from Bronwen's disasterous mistakes, and undo the
wrongs of the past and the present?" and "The story is set in the heart of Wales
in a house which Mr. Evans (The father) and Alison (the daughter) inherited from
a Great-Aunt. This house has a spirit trapped in time haunting it. Alison sees
visions of the ghost's (Bronwen's) life and is directed to an old diary. This
diary holds the keys to why Bronwen is trapped. Throughout the story Alison
seems to be going through the exactly the same situations as Bronwen did in
1810. Alison soon realizes what has happened to Bronwen and helps her change the
past. Throughout this plot Alison is going through tough times herself. Her
mother has long since passed away and her father has found a new woman
(Meiriona) who he has taken a liking to. Alison feels her territory has been
invaded by Meiriona and will ruin her tight knit relationship with her father.
In helping Bronwen out with her problem, Alison discovers that she can make
room, she doesn't own her father, and that everyone including her father has the
right to be happy."
Operation Footprint - Patricia Brooks.
The story is set in Llandudno, North Wales. The family on holiday come there
regularly each year and stay at a cottage on the less-frequented West Beach.
Most of their adventure features the Great Orme and their investigations by boat
of a small beach which is otherwise inaccessible. There are some quite exciting
episodes, though, after half-way it lapses into a pretty standard smugglers
story. The mystery may have been uncovered by the children but it is followed to
a conclusion by their uncle (very tradtional) who follows the clue to the
ring-leader of the gang to London in his fast car. Some details of this journey
and the previous vacation trips they go on may be worth following up.
Seal Secret – Aidan Chambers
William was thoroughly bored and fed up with everything about this
Welsh Holiday - but that was before he found out about Gwyn's secret..
A young boy endangers his own life when he sets out to release a
captive seal. William is unhappy when he sees the Welsh cottage his
parents had rented for their week's holiday, and he doesn't much like
Gwyn, the boy from the nearby farm
Three’s a Crowd - Michael Drin
The story of Peter and Jenny's summer holiday with their writer uncle
on the Welsh coast.
Esme and the Smugglers – Olive Duhy
The school moves to a castle in North Wales where Esme's aunt turns out
not to be all she should.
Beach Mystery – Frank Elias
"Death had been waiting for the Captain at Moelvre Bay on the night
that the Royal Sovereign foundered and sank; he cheated it then, but it
still lurked and lingered in wait.
Evan Hughes knew nothing of this when he went to spend the summer with
his aunt at Menai Bridge; yet he was soon to realize that over her
household hovered a shadow which in some unfathomable way was related
to the tragedy at Moelvre Bay. With a lad's sensitive feeling for crime
and disaster, Evan had to visit the spot where the ship had gone down.
A sense of premonition possessed him before he went; having been there
and talked to the man with the glass eye, the dreadful fascination of
the place turned to fear - fear not of human agency,but of a power
beyond him that was sinister and oppressive.
Gradually and inexplicably he experienced a compelling sense of being
drawn into the Captain's affairs. The bay had an ungovernable
influence over him. Death was not to be cheated a second time."
The Peace Seekers – George Finkel
A tale set in North Wales in 1170
Telling the Sea – Pauline Fisk
Follows the fortunes of Nona, her mother and Nona's younger sister
Sharon. The family runs away together to the seaside village in Wales
which was the focus of Nona's mother's own childhood happiness. The
author also wrote "Midnight Blue", winner of the 1990 Smarties Prize.
M.Frow -Four Stowaways and Anna
A wild chase to Wales in pursuit of War Office secrets.
The Intelligence Corps Saves the Island – M.Frow
Two sets of twins on holidays in a small island off the coast of South
Wales find themselves looking into the case of the disappearance of
title deeds to their uncle's island and a mysterious stranger claiming
possession of the island.
Monday 1 November 2010
Round the coast
Start at the River Tyne and then head south. We pass the Wear and the Tees and get down to the Esk and then to the Humber. From the Humber we can move down round the coast of Lincolnshire and to the Wash. Round the Wash you can go round Norfolk and Suffolk and Essex until we reach the Thames. From the Thames we then set off for Kent and through to Dover. Progress along from Dover to East Sussex and West Sussex. Hampshire,Dorset and Devon to Cornwall and to Landsend. From Landsend and round to Lundy and from there up to Bristol. Round the South Wales coast and up until we get to North Wales and Llandudno. From Llandudno round to the Dee, Cheshire and the Mersey, From the Mersey up to Southport and to Blackpool and Morecambe. The coast of Cumbria then takes you up to Carlisle. The Solway firth takes you round to Stranraer and then from there up to Ayr and then Glasgow. Northwards we go until we reach Oban and later Ullapool. Round to Wick and John O'Groats. South we go to Inverness and then Aberdeen and Dundee and St. Andrews. From the mouth of the Forth down to Berwickshire and then from Berwick to the mouth of the Tyne again.
Inner Hebides and Outer Hebrides, Orkneys and Shetlands,Isle of Man, Scilly Islands, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight.Now let us try a list:-
1. From Tyne to Humber.
2. From Humber to the Wash.
3. From the Wash to the Thames. Broads as well
4, From the Thames to Dover.
5. Kent, East Sussex,West Sussex
6. Hampshire and Dorset. Isle of Wight as well. Channel Islands
7. Devon and Cornwall to Landsend. Scilly as well
8. From Landsend to Bristol.
9. From Bristol to Llandudno Anglesey as well
10.From Llandudno to Liverpool.
11. From Liverpool to Carlisle Isle of Man as well
12. From Carlisle to Glasgow.
13. From Glasgow to Ullapool. Western Isles
14. From Ullapool to the Forth. Orkneys and Shetlands
15. From the Forth to the Tweed.
16. From the Tweed to the Tyne.
Inner Hebides and Outer Hebrides, Orkneys and Shetlands,Isle of Man, Scilly Islands, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight.Now let us try a list:-
1. From Tyne to Humber.
2. From Humber to the Wash.
3. From the Wash to the Thames. Broads as well
4, From the Thames to Dover.
5. Kent, East Sussex,West Sussex
6. Hampshire and Dorset. Isle of Wight as well. Channel Islands
7. Devon and Cornwall to Landsend. Scilly as well
8. From Landsend to Bristol.
9. From Bristol to Llandudno Anglesey as well
10.From Llandudno to Liverpool.
11. From Liverpool to Carlisle Isle of Man as well
12. From Carlisle to Glasgow.
13. From Glasgow to Ullapool. Western Isles
14. From Ullapool to the Forth. Orkneys and Shetlands
15. From the Forth to the Tweed.
16. From the Tweed to the Tyne.
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